Kim Seung-won Nominated as Minister of Justice

Kim Seung-won, a member of the Democratic Party, has been nominated as the second ministerial candidate by President Lee Jae-myung's administration.

Kang Hoon-sik, chief of staff at the Blue House, announced during a briefing on the 30th that President Lee has selected Kim as the new Minister of Justice.

Kang stated, "As a former judge and a two-term lawmaker who serves as the secretary of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, he understands the purpose of reforming the criminal and judicial systems better than anyone else. We expect him to prioritize the protection of victims' rights and to quickly implement new systems."

Born in 1969 in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Kim graduated from Seoul National University Law School and passed the 38th National Judicial Examination, completing the Judicial Research and Training Institute as part of the 28th class.

In 1999, he served as a military legal officer in the Army, retiring as a second lieutenant, and later became a judge, working at the Jeonju District Court and Suwon District Court. After resigning from the bench in 2008, he served as a leading attorney at law firms Onul and Homin until 2017, and was also appointed to provide free legal consultations for residents of Gyeonggi Province.

In early 2018, Kim joined the Moon Jae-in administration, which was pushing for judicial reform, working as an administrative officer in the Blue House's Political Affairs Office and serving on the National Committee for Balanced National Development.

He was elected as a first-term lawmaker in the 2020 general election for the Suwon Gap district and successfully secured re-election in the 2024 general election.

Since entering the National Assembly, Kim has been at the forefront of the Democratic Party's efforts on judicial reform, serving as the chair of the Legal Affairs Committee. He was a key member of the pro-Lee Jae-myung group 'Cheoreomhoe,' which was formed to strongly promote reform legislation, including judicial reform, shortly after the 21st National Assembly convened.

Kim is consistently classified as a strong advocate for judicial reform, arguing for the complete separation of investigation and prosecution powers and the abolition of supplementary investigation rights. Since June 2024, he has played a significant role as the ruling party's secretary on the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee in advancing judicial reform bills, indicating that he will focus on the successful implementation of a new criminal justice system as Minister of Justice.

On the same day, while attending a press conference with Seo Young-kyo, chair of the Legal Affairs Committee, Kim learned of his nomination as Minister of Justice. He told reporters, "There will be significant changes in the criminal justice system after 70 years, and I will work hard to ensure these changes are effectively implemented."